String-cutting device.



No. 740,339 PATENTED SEPT. 29, 1903.

B. J. TUMELTY.

STRING CUTTING DEVICE.

APPLIOATION TILED MAY 28, 1903.

H0 MODEL. 7

UNITED STATES Patented September 29, 1903.

PATENT EEIcE.

STRING-CUTTING DEVICE.

srncrnrcnmron forming part of Letters Patent No. 740,339, dated September 29, 1903.

Application filed May 28, 1903. Serial No. 159,083. (No model.)

' of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to string-cutting devices, and more especially to a device of this character in the. form of an attachment for lead-pencils to enable one whose business frequently requires the severance of a string to have oonvenientlyat hand atall timesastring cutting device.

A further object is to produce a device of this character which can be easily and quickly placed upon or removed from a pencil and which is of simple, durable, and cheap construction.

To these ends the invention consists in certain novel and peculiar features of construction and organization, as hereinafter described and claimed, and in order that it may be fully understood reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a perspective view of a leadpencil equipped with astring-cutting attachment embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged central cross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged central longitudinal section of the attachment and shows a portion of the pencil in elevation, the parts being on the same scale as in Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a central cross-section of a modified construction.

In carrying out the invention I preferably employ a sheet of resilient metal of elongated rectangular form and bend the same near and parallel with each end margin to provide a pair of opposite jaws 1, segmental in crosssection, said jaws being struck from equal radii. The plate is then bent along its longitudinal centenas at 2, so as to produce a pair of arms 3, which diverge slightly from bending-point 2 and disposes the jaws in such relation that they shall approximately form more than half a circle.

The arms 3 are provided with a slot or recess 4, which opens through the central bend 2 and which is of greater length inward of than at the point where it opens through said bent portion 2, so as to provide guide-walls 5, which diverge toward the said jaws and int-ersect the cutting edge of a blade 6, fitting snugly between the arms 3 and riveted thereto, as at 7, or otherwise secured, the rivet or blade-securing means incidentally forming the fulcrum-point for the spring-jaws.

The parts are so proportioned that the jaws have to be sprung outward slightly to permit a lead-pencil 8 to he slipped between them, and their resiliency is such that the attachment is held reliably upon the pencil and in position to quickly and easilysever a string as the latter is introduced into said slot or recess and drawn against the knife or blade, In such action the string, if a strong one, will slide along the knife-edge until it wedges between such edge and one of the intersecting guide-walls 5, where its complete severance is effected, the intersecting relation between the blade and said guide-walls preventing accidental disengagement of the string, as will be readily understood.

In Fig. 4 instead of showing a spring-metal plate bent to form the resilient jaws Ishowa cast-metal plate having a single jaw 1 and a single arm 3, provided with a slot or recess 4, having the diverging guide-walls 5, and to said arm I secure the knife or blade 6 by means of the rivet 7. In this case, however, the blade is formed with a spring-jaw extension 9, corresponding to one of the springjaws 1 of the preferred construction, said springjaw 9 acting to clamp upon the lead-pencil and hold the attachment at the desired point.

Fromthe above description it will be apparent that I have produced a string-cutting attachment for lead-pencils or analogous devices which embodies the features of advantage enumerated as desirable in the statement of invention and which obviously may be modified in some particulars without departing from the principle of construction involved.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim'as new, and desire to secure lay-Letters Patent, is-

1. Astring-cutting attachment, comprising a slotted portion or arm, a pair of jaws segmental in cross-section one of which at least is resilient, and a knife or blade bridging the slot of said arm.

, in cross-section, one of which at least is resilient, and a knife or blade bridging said slot and having its cutting edge intersecting the longest portion thereof and converging with the edges of the slot which extend through the front edge of the arm.

4. A string-cutting attachment, comprising a plate bent to form a pair of arms having a slot or recess through said bent portion, and a pair of spring-jaws segmental in cross-section, and a knife or blade secured between said arms and having its cutting edge bridg-- ing said slot or recess.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

BERNARD J. TUMELTY. Witnesses:

H. O. RODGERS, G. Y. THORPE. 

